China's Communist Party and the Media

China's Communist Party, according to The New York Times, "has been tightening its control over the media since Mr. Xi became the top leader in late 2012." Last week, China's government agencies announced a new regulation that blocks content from foreign sources online in China. The government claimed that "It is necessary for the media to restore people’s trust in the Party" and that "the nation’s media outlets are essential to political stability."

A real estate tycoon and Party member, Ren Zhiqiang, is reported by the Times as having blogged that the media should be serving the people and not the Party. His comments have been removed and Mr Ren is accused of having “lost his Party spirit.”